Our health could be at risk from common materials found in our house, as a landmark study finds a concerning level of microplastics in the air in people’s homes. Scientists from Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull recorded the concentration of microplastics in twenty houses in Hull, East Yorkshire, and North Lincolnshire over six months.
The research is the most extensive study of its kind to date. It’s also the first to find microplastics in all the sampled homes and at considerably higher levels than those reported outdoors.
For the study, the scientists collected air samples from head height in living rooms where the occupants spent roughly seven hours per day. They found that microplastics were identified in all households and 98% of samples, with an average concentration rate of 45 times higher than outdoor studies.
The size of the particles found was similar to the diameter of a human hair, a pollen grain, or a piece of fine beach sand and was associated with materials found in food packaging, clothing, carpets, and soft furnishings. For example, previous research has found that simply wearing polyester clothes sheds more microplastics than washing, and another found that opening a bag of chips releases thousands of microplastic particles.
One study from the Fernando Pessoa University in Portugal found that we breathe in up to 130 tiny plastic particles daily. Due to their small size, inhaled microplastics travel through the human body and into the lungs, where they may cause lesions in the respiratory system. In addition, another study from Arizona State University scientists found that nano- and micro-plastics could enter our bodies and stick around our organs, potentially causing harm.
How are microplastics entering our bodies? There are many other ways these particles can enter our body besides breathing them in, including the foods and drinks we consume – such as sugar, salt, alcohol, beer, honey, and seafood.
Regarding plastic exposure to human health, scientists still don’t know the extent of the risks posed. However, previous studies in animals and wildlife have linked nano- and micro-plastic exposure to infertility, inflammation and cancer, suffocation, and death.
Lauren Jenner, the study’s co-author, highlighted:
The importance of indoor air quality and health is rising, with people spending up to 90% of their time indoors and as much as 60% in their homes.
Besides avoiding buying plastic products and polyester clothing, it might be a good idea to get one or two air purifiers for your home if you are spending a lot of time there.
Jenner said:
It is alarming that, while we think the atmosphere in our own homes is under our own control and not subject to contaminants that we associate with outdoors, we are at risk from everyday materials that we have introduced as part of our décor or clothing.
Home furnishings and clothing shed small-sized fibers, and these are likely responsible for the high levels of microparticles in the air in our homes.
The landmark study found:
- Smaller, fibrous particles, from clothing, carpets, and soft furnishings, were the most abundant type;
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), associated with food packaging, clothing such as fleeces, carpets, and soft furnishings, was present in 90% of samples and more common during the winter (due to heater use);
- Polyamide nylon and polypropylene, found in clothing, threads, airbags, seat belts, tarps, and tents, were also commonly detected.
Next, the results from the study will be used to inform experiments to determine the broader implications on human health.
Jenner warned:
These microparticles are potentially more harmful than natural particles – such as cotton or wool fabrics – that we may also be breathing in at times. These microplastics are from materials specifically manufactured to be robust, so they don’t degrade in the same way that natural materials would do and are likely to remain in our lungs if inhaled.
The study was published on June 1, 2021, in the journal Atmospheric Environment.
